Interactions Among Living Things and Adaptations in Nature
Natural Selection
– a characteristic that makes an
individual better suited to its environment may
eventually become common in that species.
Natural selection results in
adaptations
or behaviors
and physical characteristics that allow organisms to
live successfully in their environments.
Niche
– The role of an organism in its habitat, or how
it makes its living.
An organism’s niche includes:
the organism’s food
how it obtains food
other organisms that use the organism as food
when and how it reproduces
any physical characteristics required to survive
Competition
Predation
Symbiosis
It is the struggle between organisms as they attempt to
use the same limited resource
Occurs when two species occupy
the same niche
Why can’t two species occupy the same niche?
If two species occupy the same niche, they will compete
directly against each other and one species will
eventually die off
The interaction in which one organism kills another
for food is called
predation
The organism that does the killing is the
predator
The organism that is killed is the
prey
If death rate > birth rate, then population size decreases
If birth rate > death rate, then population size increases
When the death rate exceeds the birth rate, the size of the
population decreases, resulting in a decrease in the size of
the population of their prey. As this occurs, the predators
go without food and the predator population decreases.
Predator and prey populations rise and fall in related cycles.
Predator adaptations
Help them catch and kill prey
Cheetah can run very fast for a short time
Jellyfish’s tentacles contain a poisonous substance that
paralyze tiny water animals
Prey adaptations
Help them avoid becoming prey
Alertness and speed of an antelope help protect it from its
predators
Smelly spray of a skunk
Mimicry
Protective Covering
False Coloring
Camouflage
Warning Coloring
Organisms within a community interact with each other in many
ways. Some are predators, some are prey. Some compete with one
another, some cooperate. Some species form symbiotic relationships
with other species:
Mutualism
benefits both
Commensalism
benefits one, other unaffected
Parasitism
benefits one, harms other
Primary Succession – a series of changes that occur in an area where
no soil or organisms exist.
In a barren area, a new community is established with
pioneer species
(first species in the area), like mosses, that do well with little or no soil.
Mosses eventually give way to coniferous trees.
Secondary Succession – a series of changes that occur in an area
where the ecosystem has been disturbed.
When a disturbance (fire, flood, or tornados) damages a community
but soil remains, the community gets reestablished from seeds and
roots left behind. Grasses grow, then small shrubs, and eventually
trees.
Understanding the interactions among living things, such as competition, predation, and symbiosis, sheds light on how organisms adapt to their environments through natural selection. Each organism occupies a unique niche, defining its role in the ecosystem. Predation plays a crucial role in population dynamics, affecting both predator and prey populations. Adaptations in predators and prey contribute to their survival in the constant struggle for existence in nature.
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Presentation Transcript
Interactions Among Living Things
Adapting to the Environment Natural Selection a characteristic that makes an individual better suited to its environment may eventually become common in that species. Natural selection results in adaptationsor behaviors and physical characteristics that allow organisms to live successfully in their environments. Niche The role of an organism in its habitat, or how it makes its living.
Niche An organism s niche includes: the organism s food how it obtains food other organisms that use the organism as food when and how it reproduces any physical characteristics required to survive
Three types of Interactions among Organisms Competition Predation Symbiosis
Competition It is the struggle between organisms as they attempt to use the same limited resource Occurs when two species occupy the same niche Why can t two species occupy the same niche? If two species occupy the same niche, they will compete directly against each other and one species will eventually die off
Predation The interaction in which one organism kills another for food is called predation The organism that does the killing is the predator The organism that is killed is the prey
Predation and Population Size If death rate > birth rate, then population size decreases If birth rate > death rate, then population size increases When the death rate exceeds the birth rate, the size of the population decreases, resulting in a decrease in the size of the population of their prey. As this occurs, the predators go without food and the predator population decreases. Predator and prey populations rise and fall in related cycles.
Adaptations Predator adaptations Help them catch and kill prey Cheetah can run very fast for a short time Jellyfish s tentacles contain a poisonous substance that paralyze tiny water animals Prey adaptations Help them avoid becoming prey Alertness and speed of an antelope help protect it from its predators Smelly spray of a skunk
Defense Strategies False Coloring Mimicry Protective Covering Warning Coloring Camouflage
Symbiosis Organisms within a community interact with each other in many ways. Some are predators, some are prey. Some compete with one another, some cooperate. Some species form symbiotic relationships with other species: Mutualism benefits both Commensalism benefits one, other unaffected Parasitism benefits one, harms other
Ecosystems are always changing Primary Succession a series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist. In a barren area, a new community is established with pioneer species (first species in the area), like mosses, that do well with little or no soil. Mosses eventually give way to coniferous trees.
Ecosystems are always changing Secondary Succession a series of changes that occur in an area where the ecosystem has been disturbed. When a disturbance (fire, flood, or tornados) damages a community but soil remains, the community gets reestablished from seeds and roots left behind. Grasses grow, then small shrubs, and eventually trees.
